social security guesstimate

[newtoseattle]

Hello
I have a MacBook and so the detailed social security calculator from the government site doesn't work for me.

Most of my social security contributions are in years I've made the max contribution level (I'm ignoring all the years at <$8000/yr income)
I have been guesstimating social security by #yrs contributing max* current max (i.e. will be 127,000$ for 2017) divided by 35 divided by 12

all this in order to get AIME and then using the multipliers from there (i.e. .9 for first bit, then .32 for next, etc)

So my question is - is the wage adjustment really that simple - i.e. is the max income from last year 118,000 really now $127,000?

Basically I'd been kind of hoping to get to the 50% mark (i.e. the second bend point) and had thought it'd basically be 17-18 years contribution the max.

But the high increase to $127,000 this year based on wage index (not inflation) makes me wonder if thats really true...

Hope my question makes sense to someone...

 

[newtoseattle]

maybe clearer?

sorry -
realized that was completely incomprehensible.

so let me try with numbers

last year I guesstimated by eventual social security as
(118000* # of yrs worked)divided by 420=AIME

this year - using my method -
it would be
(127,500* # yrs worked) divided by 420= AIME

than benefit would be 1st bend point (approx 890$)*.9
plus second bend point (AIME-890)*.32

that would be a pretty big "raise" even if years worked stayed the same.

Is that correct?

Thanks

 

[Sandy & Shirley]

Why don't you just go to SSA.gov, create an account, and get the real numbers directly from them?

 

[brucethebroker]

It seems like SS would have a way to access the info from Mac products. Have you contacted them?

 

[Senator]

It seems like SS would have a way to access the info from Mac products. Have you contacted them?

There is a tool that can be downloaded for a Mac.

The downloadable files are stored in a self-extracting archive. The 2016.2 version of the calculator and data, updated through 2015, is in the Anypia.dmg disk image file. Click on Anypia.dmg (10,302,881 bytes) to download the Mac OS version.

https://www.ssa.gov/oact/anypia/download.html

 

[Walt34]

When I did the online estimator tool for SS I later found that it was very close, within single digits after I started SS. So I suggest just using that one and don't worry about it.

 

[REWahoo]

When I did the online estimator tool for SS I later found that it was very close, within single digits after I started SS. So I suggest just using that one and don't worry about it.

Agreed. That estimator was very close to my actual number as well.

 

[braumeister]

The downloadable AnyPIA calculator's estimate was within pennies of the actual amount I received when I started taking SS.

 

[rodi]

The online calculator (when you have an account so it's using your numbers) was very accurate for DH. Within $1/month.

 

[newtoseattle]

thank you all for your responses. I've tried to download the calculator before.
on the site it says-

"Note that this Mac version will not work on a Mac running Lion or newer versions of the OS X operating system. We are currently working on producing a new Mac version which will work on newer versions of OS X, but this may take some time."

has anyone gotten it to work on an updated mac?

 

[Just_Steve]

No it won't work on my MAC either.

 

[braumeister]

thank you all for your responses. I've tried to download the calculator before.
on the site it says-

"Note that this Mac version will not work on a Mac running Lion or newer versions of the OS X operating system. We are currently working on producing a new Mac version which will work on newer versions of OS X, but this may take some time."

has anyone gotten it to work on an updated mac?

Lion was the 2011 version of the Mac OS, so the SS Mac calculator has been obsolete for five years now.

I have a few other applications that need Windows to run, so I have an old version of Parallels that I use when needed. That's how I ran the "regular" version of AnyPIA.

 

[panacea]

thank you all for your responses. I've tried to download the calculator before.
on the site it says-

"Note that this Mac version will not work on a Mac running Lion or newer versions of the OS X operating system. We are currently working on producing a new Mac version which will work on newer versions of OS X, but this may take some time."

has anyone gotten it to work on an updated mac?

Why not just go to the library and use their PCs?

 

[scrabbler1]

I created a spreadsheet which mimics the AnyPIA calculator. Initially, I had trouble getting the AnyPIA program to work, but not because of incompatible operating systems. I was eventually able to get AnyPIA to work and the result was a few pennies difference from my spreadsheet so now all I do is use my spreadsheet and update it for any updates to the wage indexing factors which change a little every year.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Why not just go to the library and use their PCs?

If you have to input a SS number to use the calculator, it might not be a good idea to use a public computer.

 

[Dash man]

I just went to the SSN.gov website with my MacBook Pro and created an account. No problems at all.

 

[Sunset]

The online estimator is very good. You Don't need any login.

you simply input each year of earnings, just watch the order of the year fields as I think they are odd.

Scroll down a bit on the page below and you will see the estimator.

https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/AnypiaApplet.html

 

[panacea]

If you have to input a SS number to use the calculator, it might not be a good idea to use a public computer.

oh, well there is that.

 

[NW-Bound]

When I did the online estimator tool for SS I later found that it was very close, within single digits after I started SS. So I suggest just using that one and don't worry about it.

Agreed. That estimator was very close to my actual number as well.

The downloadable AnyPIA calculator's estimate was within pennies of the actual amount I received when I started taking SS.

The online calculator (when you have an account so it's using your numbers) was very accurate for DH. Within $1/month.

I downloaded and used their AnyPIA calculator. Now, what I need is a statement from the government certifying that they will not change the rule and reduce that amount when I claim mine. I already entered it into FIRECalc, and am counting on it.

Arghh. In most likelihood, when I get there, they will say "We promise you $xxx, but here's $yyy. The difference is the amount we withhold for the new tax and healthcare deduction". I can't win.

 

[racy]

Do it yourself by creating your own spreadsheet. Here are the instructions: https://www.thebalance.com/social-security-benefits-calculation-guide-2388927

 

[SpinDr]

A question I've had about the estimator. If someone is many years (10+) from SS does the estimator reflect adjustments related to inflation? Or, should 1-2% be added each year until 62? I realize not much in the way of adjustments recently.